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List of Ergo Proxy terms
This is a list of terms used in the science fiction suspense anime television series, produced by Manglobe, which premiered across Japan from 25 February 2006 on the WOWOW satellite network. In describing these terms and their context, this article discusses plot elements of the series. Geography Planetary Ecological Disaster The proximate cause of this disaster was rapid climate change due to the "cascading release of Methane hydrate," probably caused by the melting of the Siberian Tundra, itself caused by Global Warming. The disaster was not sudden: mankind had time to prepare the Boomerang Star (to evacuate the planet), as well as the Proxy Project (to regenerate mankind on Earth). During or shortly after the evacuation, starvation and drought killed 85% of the human population; sea levels rose due to the melting of polar caps, restructuring continental boundaries. Either as a result of negative climate feedback or environmental manipulation by the Proxies, earth entered an ice age and a Nuclear Winter scenario that froze the oceans and eventually killed off nearly 100% of Earth's fauna and a large percentage of Earth's flora. It is likely that this climate change was the work of the Proxies themselves, as it is unlikely that even the total disruption of current weather patterns could lead to an ice age in which the earth's oceans would freeze and the sky become permanently swathed in cloud (particularly when it is revealed that the Proxies need the cloud cover to survive). Furthermore, it is likely that the cloud cover was designed specifically to lock the methane back into hydrates and otherwise cool the planet. Romdeau Dome City This Dome is the centerpiece of the action for the first few episodes of the series. Romdeau was created by Ergo Proxy, but he later abandoned the dome, leaving it in the care of Re-L Mayer's grandfather, Donov Mayer. This was done presumably to be with Monad in Mosk . See main article Romdeau. The Commune A group of outcasts that live outside of Romdeau. See main article the Commune. Mosk Dome City The dome of Monad Proxy. See main article Mosk. Asura Dome City The Dome City created by Kazkis Proxy and (possibly) ruled over jointly from two towers by Kazkis Proxy and Senex Proxy. Kazkis can be quoted saying, "If Asura is the sun, Charos is the moon." Asura's residents were killed by the Knights. Charos Dome City The dome of Senex Proxy. See main article Charos. Ophelia Dome City The dome of the Doppelgänger Proxy. See main article Ophelia. Smile Land An amusement park type dome built by a Proxy, Will B. Good, so that he could keep smiling, even as the world fell apart. However, when Pino came to Smile Land, everybody noticed her smile looked more natural than Will's, whose smile looked like he was forcing it, causing the eventual "destruction" of the locale, since it was just a figment of imagination, thus causing Will to become rather distraught. After Pino awakens from "sleeping" (she is actually recharging her battery), it is revealed that her experience in Smile Land was only a dream. Soon after, Re-L, Vincent, and Pino (still aboard the Rabbit) near what appears to be another dome. Remembering her dream and the impending doom that was supposedly haunting Smile Land, Pino urges Re-L and Vincent to please not visit the dome. Re-L insists that they need to stock up on supplies, but Pino is able to convince Vincent to listen to her and trust in her intuition. The Rabbit can then be seen swerving its path away from Smile Land. Abandoned Dome City A dome inhabitable by AutoReivs with no humans. See main article Abandoned Dome. Overgrown Dome A ruin overgrown by plants where the Cave Proxy lives. See main article Overgrown Dome. City Lights Bookstore The bookstore where Vincent faces the proxy JJ who causes him to remember that he is a Proxy. See main article City Lights Bookstore. Regent's Throne Room A room in Romdeau where the Regent and the Collective are accepting audience. Most of the time the guests are separated from the Regent and the AutoReivs by a sort of curtain. Proxy One's Blue Sky Room A space on the top of the Romdeau Dome where Proxy One oversees the city. Biology Proxy There exist 300 Proxies, and it is stated in the series that the Proxies created the domes, one dome per Proxy. The Proxies were made by the "Creators" in what was known as the "Proxy Project", for the purpose of regenerating human life after the Earth's surface was ravaged by the cascading release of methane hydrate, a possible alternative energy source to petroleum and nuclear energy. Within the domes, it seems as if a Proxy's presence is necessary both to power an electromagnetic "shield" which protects the dome, but also for the life-giving WombSys to work. Raul Creed claims that humanity needs to "change into beings who have no need for gods"; it is possible he is referring to Proxies. It is also stated that Monad Proxy was abducted from the Mosk Dome by Romdeau during Romdeau's invasion. Each Proxy is also an "Agent": it is stated that Kazkis Proxy is the Agent of Brilliance. Senex Proxy is the Agent of Moonlight and Ergo Proxy is the Agent of Death. Ergo Proxy is also Proxy One. Interestingly, Kazkis Proxy states that he, like Vincent Law, was haunted by his Proxy alter-ego, suggesting that Proxies might have originally been created in man's image. Lastly: Amrita Cells are intended to die with the coming of blue sky (it is possible that they are fatally susceptible to sunlight), but somehow, through his defeat of the immortal Ergo Proxy, Vincent was able to survive as a Proxy despite the coming of the sun, disregarding the Pulse of Awakening. In Episode 23, Ergo Proxy is quoted as saying that the Pulse of Awakening begins with internal changes, suggesting that before the Pulse of Awakening, Proxies are NOT vulnerable to sunlight. If this is in fact the case, and if Ergo Proxy's words on greeting Vincent Law following his decision to leave Monad II in the skies above Romdeau are true (that Vincent somehow disregarded the Pulse of Awakening), the implication is that Vincent survived as Ergo Proxy because he managed to return to the original state in which Proxies are not vulnerable to sunlight. This may be due to the fact that Proxy One created Vincent before the Pulse of Awakening Project started. It is unclear as to whether he intends to support or oppose humanity as it rises from the ashes: he mentions that he intends to face the future with Re-L and Pino, implying that he will somehow cut the arriving humans out of the equation, "punishing the Creators" in accordance with the wishes of Ergo Proxy. Pulse of Awakening The end of the Proxy Project. The Proxy Destruction Program that begins with the revival of mankind. It is stated that Proxies are the single largest obstacle to the revival of mankind, implying that as mankind "awakens", the Proxies will die; this is confirmed by Ergo Proxy himself, and by Daedalus, who says that Amrita Cells cannot live under blue sky. This correlates with Raul Creed's monologue in episode 18, suggesting that the removal of Proxy overseers is necessary for the growth of mankind. Somehow, by defeating Proxy One, Vincent Law no longer heeds the Pulse of Awakening. Amrita Cell Cells that make Proxies invulnerable. See main article Amrita Cells. WombSys A room in each Dome where humans are made. See main article Womb Room. Underground Mutants A small clan of troglodyte humanoids encountered in episode 17. Ancient, battered artifacts such as a piano adorn the outer chambers of their underground habitat, but further inside, the air becomes toxic to humans. A brief glimpse of the inner chambers reveal a pillar adorned with glowing green patches, which is never explained but potentially the source of the toxic gasses, or perhaps an ancient machine. The dominant theory is that these mutants were once human, retreating into the cave warren as a defense against the environmental disaster that froze the planet's oceans. The troglodyte humans are unable to leave their cavern, as the air outside is, to them, toxic, and could kill them, or make them ill, much like when Re-L left Romdeau for the first time. However, the air on the inside of the cavern is dangerous to them as well. Although they seem to have partially adapted to it, it is slowly killing them. No matter where they go, they will eventually die, as hypothesized by Re-L. Original Humans The Humans who left Earth on the Boomerang Star. Human Replicants Those created by WombSys. It is hinted that they could be clones and possibly sterile as well. Infection - The World of Death To the inhabitants of Romdeau, the air outside the dome seems to be full of pathogens, or some kind of deadly virus. Those in charge of Romdeau insist that humans cannot survive outside of the dome, and the release of "plug vents" is strictly controlled. Vincent is able to fight off the infection, perhaps due to the qualities of the Amrita cells that make up a proxy's body. It is likely that some humans are able to survive in the atmosphere outside the dome, though many do die (as Re-L would have died had she not returned to Romdeau). It is most likely some kind of virus, as after her treatment in Romdeau, Re-L no longer suffers from being outside the dome, probably because she has developed an immunity to the virus. Robotics Entourage AutoReiv Entourage AutoReivs are designed to help, and in some cases, protect their masters in various ways. In the case of Re-L Mayer, her Entourage AutoReiv called "Iggy" aided her in analyzing crime scenes, worked as her personal driver, contacted the Bureaus of Romdeau as necessary and, although this is, not explicitly stated, acted as her personal bodyguard. Entourage AutoReivs are to accompany one person only, and as such, an Entourage which has lost its master is considered obsolete and is eventually disposed of. Entourage AutoReivs are humanoid in appearance, but lack distinct facial features, with the exception of coloring and some minor model differences. They are usually taller than most humans. Companion AutoReiv As their name would suggest, Companion AutoReivs are made for humans who need them for a number of reasons. For example, they can be used to replace a lost child or to be a child to people that can't have children of their own, or to simply accompany and serve humans in any way needed. Their skills are usually geared toward household chores, such as making food, cleaning and taking care of existing children in the family. Due to their status as companions for humans, they are usually very humanlike, possessing a wide range of facial expressions and an outside appearance of a human. Armed AutoReivs Armed AutoReivs are a part of the police and paramilitary forces of Romdeau. Their purpose is to keep order in the city. They are seen with and without a human operator; a human operator is used to monitor and if necessary, take control of the AutoReiv in situations that require it, such as pursuits of specific suspects or other complicated tasks. Armed AutoReivs are usually much bigger than humans, about the size of an average car, though much smaller variations are also shown to exist. Knights A variant of the Armed AutoReivs used in Asura Dome City. Kazkis Proxy created and controlled them and with them, tried to kill off the remaining humans in Senex Tower. Cogito Virus A computer virus by which AutoReivs become self-aware, similar in nature to the concept of rampancy in the Marathon Trilogy series of computer games. Effects of self-awareness differ between individual AutoReivs for reasons unknown: Pino, for example, was self-aware for the majority of her screen-time, but she never attempted to harm anyone. Iggy, too, was purportedly self-aware for some time, but he only attacked other humans after suffering the equivalent of a mental breakdown (proximate cause for this breakdown was Re-L Mayer's rejection of him). As such, it is possible that the presence of Re-L Mayer as Iggy's raison d'etre kept Iggy stable. Under other circumstances, infected AutoReivs become immediately violent, such as the skirmish in Daedalus' lab when Re-L was "killed" by two AutoReivs that had been intentionally infected with the virus and had become highly aggressive. Different theories exist to account for these discrepancies: multiple versions of the Cogito Virus might exist; or the virus might affect different AutoReivs in different ways, depending on their background and programming. It is possible that the Cogito Virus is distributed and/or controlled by Proxies: AutoReivs of all kinds exhibit odd behavior (prayerful postures, attacks on humans) in the presence of both Monad and Ergo Proxy. Indeed, following a close encounter with Monad Proxy in the Romdeau Shopping Mall, Pino appeared suddenly stricken by the same prayerful pose that afflicted other AutoReives throughout the series; shortly thereafter, AutoReive engineers were instructed to hunt her down, citing Cogito infection as their motive. It is also mentioned that the Cogito Virus is a potential offshot of the Boomerang Project. Turing Application The personality of AutoReives. It can be turned off, in which case it has no memory of what happens until restored. See also Turing test. Hippocampal File Surveillance Unit An automated drone that fly around Romdeau and shoot at people occasionally. Vehicles AHT A small personal flying vehicle that Re-L uses to get to the Commune from Romdeau. U4 Centzon Totochtin This vessel, which looks like a high-tech sailboat capable of hovering over land or water by means unknown, enables Vincent Law to make his journey to Mosk in search of his past. It appears to derive its propulsion (but not its lift) entirely from wind: episode 16 depicts Vincent, Re-L, and Pino stranded and waiting for the wind to start. The Centzon Totochtin can support a crew of two (being an AutoReiv, Pino does not need to eat) for what appears to be a week or two. Other features include emergency harpoon anchors for tight turns and quick stops. Originally the property of Hoody, the commune elder. Pino refers to it as "The Rabbit". The Boomerang Star This planetary evacuation ship was "the last tool constructed by mankind on earth" (though the Boomerang Star was built in geostationary orbit), built to escape the upcoming planetary ecological disaster; it is stated that its builders were in such a hurry that "not everyone" made it aboard. Just as the ship's name implies that it might return someday (boomerangs return to the thrower if thrown correctly), mankind returns to Earth at the very end of the series. Light Railway Underground railway system Weapon FP Ray A special type of bullet capable of disrupting Proxy biology. Aside from the impact of the projectile, FP Rays are harmless to humans. Rapture An ancient hydrogen bomb and associated missile delivery system (possibly an ICBM). Used by Proxy One to destroy the remains of Mosk prior to the arrival of Vincent Law. It appears others were fired as well Regular Service Regular Service is the name the members of the commune give to the automated surveillance drones which patrol the area outside of Romdeau. Equipped with automatic guns, they are programmed to follow the same route every day, killing any humans they discover. They do not attack autorievs, and seemed to be controlled by the security bureau. They can also be used in an attack mode, or sent to investigate certain areas of interest. AutoReiv Disposal Unit Issued Firearm The weapons issued to the Autoreiv Disposal Units in order to bring up infected AutoReivs are designed in such a way, that they cannot harm innocent citizens. As stated by Vincent, the only way to bring an infected AutoReiv back to the facility is to almost dismantle them. The weapon possesses a large amount of ammunition stored in cartridges. Re-L's Shotgun Re-L's Shotgun bears a resemblance to the Franchi SPAS-12, and most likely is a futuristic version of it. Politics Raison d'être Translated as reason to live, this concept is a central part of the story, having dedicated an entire episode around this philosophical theme. It concerns humans, Proxies and AutoReivs alike, but as a survival tool it is most practical for the two latter. While the reason is a fundamental way of existence for the AutoReivs (that of to serve their human masters), it seems to be a curse for the Proxies, who know their ultimate finale is to die for the humans, in contrast with the robots which must live for them. For the humans in the anime, this seems to be the hardest and most elusive, as the Administrative Bureau and also Re-L notice the continuing aimlessness of most of the citizens in Romdeau. This subject becomes an important concern for Re-L, who sees her own raison d'être in discovering the truth, however terrifying it may be. Vincent Law is a unique example of a character that underwent both the search for the reason to live as a Proxy, as well as a human being. As he was not content in living as the first, he seemingly orchestrated his final search, knowing the path it would bring. As a human, he wanted to learn about his lost memories, his roots and as a symbol for that, the Mosk Dome became his reason to live, along with Re-L. Regent Administrative Bureau Citizen Security Bureau The administrative bureau headed by Raul Creed. It appears to deal with both Cogito infected Autoreivs and the search for the escaped Proxy, as well as control of the "Regular Service". Citizen Intelligence Bureau Immigration Bureau Division of Health and Wellfare The division in which Daedalus works, which attends to the health of Romdeau's citizens. The division is also charged with the containment of Monad Proxy (who escapes in the first 15 seconds of the show) and research concerning the Proxies. Daedalus knows much more than he lets on about both Proxies and the truth concerning Romdeau, however he seems to be free of much of the regulation the other citizens of Romdeau face. Sanitation Bureau AutoReiv Control Division (AutoReiv Disposal Unit) Responsible for the control and maintenance of Romdeau's Autoreivs, also the disposal of Cogito - infected Autoreivs. Temporary Immigrant Sector Area of Romdeau where immigrants are allowed to live, pending their acceptance as citizens. Re-L and Iggy first encounter a Proxy here, during a search for a cogito - infected Autoreiv. Citizen Residential Sector This is the well kept and monitored district of Romdeau where the Fellow Citizens live. Project ADW While not explicitly explained in the series in any real depth, Project ADW appears to be an attempt to modify humans at a cellular level with an infusion of Amrita cells. This project occurred at some point between the launch of Rapture and Re-L, Vincent, and Pino's return to Romdeau, but it is only mentioned briefly. The Creators See Original Humans. Proxy Project A project created by humans to regenerate humankind on Earth following the planetary ecological disaster. Though not explicitly detailed, it can be assumed that each of 300 Proxies was to create and supervise a dome city in which WombSys would gradually produce the minimum human population necessary to restore the planet. A brief monologue in Episode 15 about initial biological failures due to "lack of data storage capacity" for data relevant to the creation of life suggests that the Proxies might have been created as a kind of living gene memory bank to supervise the creation of humanity (and, possibly, other life forms) through WombSys (the importance of memory is a recurring theme in Ergo Proxy). The next phase of the project is unclear, though it is explicitly stated that the Proxies are the greatest obstacle to the Awakening of mankind, just as it is explicitly stated that, following the performance of their duty, the Proxy Destruction Program begins, entailing "changes within (their) body": a sensitivity to sunlight (blue sky) that is ultimately fatal. However, it is clear from Kazkis Proxy that some Proxies might have had their own ideas about humanity: Kazkis Proxy believed the humans of Halos had no reason to live or even a reason to die -- it is implied that he waged war against them for this reason (perhaps with assistance from Senex Proxy). Boomerang Project The project that led to the creation of the Boomerang Star (see above). Proxy One's Revenge By manipulating Raul Creed's emotions, Proxy One caused at least one missile launch, decimating several Dome Cities. In his view, humanity had destroyed the planet and then fled, leaving Proxies to resurrect the world and subsequently die off when the clouds parted. Enraged at this injustice, Proxy One sought to wipe out humanity by instigating warfare and nuclear missile launches, and while he was ultimately unsuccessful, it is possible that only Re-L Mayer and Vincent Law remain (the proverbial Adam and Eve). Though Proxy One was defeated by Vincent Law and his plans to wipe out humanity failed, Proxy One found some solace in the fact that Vincent would (somehow) survive the coming of sunlight with his Amrita Cells intact: in short, despite the coming of the sun, Vincent Law remains Ergo Proxy, the Agent of Death. Proxy Pendant Vincent first appears wearing a pendant (which resembles a Greek letter ψ) which seems to be something related to Mosk. It is actually Ergo Proxy's (it appears each proxy has one) and serves as a key to enter to room in Mosk where Monad stored Ergo's memories. Monad had an identical pendant, with the roman numeral XIII (13) carved in it. Vincent's has the numeral I written on his, signifying his status as the "original" Proxy. The pendant plays an interesting role in the story as a recurring stimulus of change. When Re-L discovers the Pendent in the wreckage of her house (after her encounter with the Proxy) she sets out after Vincent. The pendant is also (literally) the key to Ergo Proxy's memories. *